The Return
by spartan585
Summary: Finally, a Titan has come back home.
1. Chapter 1

The sun had almost reached its zenith in the clear blue sky. It was a lovely day to spend one's time outdoors; citizens walking about their daily lives in realative peace and safety. Not a villain in sight. From his perch on a tree located on hill just outside the city limits, the superhero peered closer at the city's bay and its landmark structure built on the sole island in the middle it all. It was exactly how he had left it. Contrary to the cliche, he did not leave during a storm. Nor did he left at night and he was definitely not wounded or incapacitated in any way. He began to reminisce about the events that led to this moment.

Mento had contacted him the week after the Titans returned home from Tokyo. Forgoing the usual 'pleasantries', the older superhero surprised him by asking him gently if he wanted to return to Dayton Manor. The reason was to train him in advanced morphing skills as well as other skills necessary for a superhero to survive and excel in what has to be one of the most dangerous occupations ever. At first he refused, understandably suspicious of his adopted father's intentions. Indeed, they did not part under the best of circumstances. Now that was a cliché but such partings were what gave all those comic book writers their fodder after all.

It was Elasti-girl who managed to convince him. The suggestion to return to the Doom Patrol had been her idea. She mentioned that everyone in the superhero community were aware of what transpired in Tokyo including the Justice League. In all honesty, apprehending Daizo had been an impressive feat and it really gave the Titans the recognition that was long overdue from the wider superhero community. There was even talk of extending some form of nominal membership in the Justice League to the Titans to function as a sort of auxiliary force.

However, the reason why the Doom Patrol had asked him to come back was because of a more personal matter; the award ceremony honouring the Titans. Having also been a surrogate family to him as well as being responsible for his earliest training in harnessing his great potential, it caused Steve and Rita no small amount of grief to witness his treatment at the hands of his teammates specifically a certain purple-haired sorceress. While Elasti-girl did remark that he was acting like a jackass at that time, she did not think that the humiliation that he received from Raven was becoming of a teammate considering that they were in the public's eyes at the time. Ever the pragmatic and stoic leader, Mento agreed as he was still a member of the Doom Patrol as much as he is a Titan.

With the resources available to the Dayton Estate, it was easy for Mento to obtain the footage that captured the Titans in action. He came to the conclusion that while his adopted son is a likeable person as well as a dedicated and loyal teammate, he lacked a trainer's guidance which is necessary considering his rather short attention span. He had to admit that even though Robin had been dutiful in fulfilling his role as the leader, much of his son's progress in developing his abilities needed a more specialised touch. Rita was initially reluctant to agree with her husband. Nonetheless she eventually supported him. In addition, she was thrilled that it would allow her son to return home. Many things had been left unsaid amidst his departure from the Doom Patrol all those years ago. To be frank, everyone in the team had been affected. Even Steve who barricaded himself in his laboratory upon hearing news of his son leaving. It was Rita who found him weeping at his desk. It was a testament that Mento/Steve was many things but woe betide the fool who accuse him of never having any love for his son. Stern and unflinching he may be. Cruel even to an outsider's impression but only those close to him knew how much he loved and valued his family.

When it came to informing his team, the reactions from the rest of the Titans varied.

Starfire, of course, had been the most emotional. The Tamaranean was literally crying buckets and lamenting about something called 'rekmas' as she held him in a near-death grip. The princess from the stars was very sensitive when it came to relationships. She was very much upset at the slightest possible chance of the team breaking up, probably a result of her troubled relationship with her own sister and the fact that her home world of Tamaran is light-years away. It was only after he had promised to keep in regular contact that Starfire reluctantly loosened her hold on her teammate. Or the fact that the increasingly asphyxiated face became a critical point of concern.

Robin seemed to be on the other side spectrum. Since the capture of the Brotherhood of Evil, crime had been reduced to an all time low. This allowed the Titan leader to relax a bit and to be a bit more understanding in letting his teammate go. Still, his body language betrayed his surprise and sadness over the fact that a teammate was leaving the team albeit temporarily (he hoped). He of all people knew the feeling of leaving one team for another. Indeed none of the Titans ever recalled him mentioning anything related to his time in Gotham City. All he did was to give a reassurance that there will always be a home to come back to and that he will always be a Titan. The Boy Wonder would not even hear of taking back his communicator. "It's yours, Beast Boy," he had said with a smile. The two exchanged a bro fist before ignoring all pretenses to give each other a hug.

Cyborg threw a tantrum. Muttering softly to himself about crazy green elves who did not know what they were getting themselves into, he did not even want to acknowledge the person at first who is, in all aspects, his brother. Out of all the Titans, the two were the closest in spirit. They did everything together from fighting villains (and each other) to playing pranks (on each other). Just the thought of his green friend going off seemed like an anathema to him. He was the first person who accepted him as a person and not some half robot freak that he initially thought he was. Bantering, the two finally reconciled in the immature and corny way that only the both of them knew how; a round of Mega Monkeys Zombie Clash with the winner getting the mother of all noogies. Beast Boy left with a sore head.

Raven was predictably quiet. She always was but this time it was unsettling. It was as if she wanted to say more but was refraining herself. The sorceress had been pretty distant ever since Tokyo he had to admit. It was a stark difference from the ferocious giver of beatings which she portrayed herself to be. He even had some faint bruises leftover. Still, he was never one to hold a grudge especially against Raven. She was Raven. The mysterious one. There was something about her that drew him. Attracted him. Something intriguing. She was also really cute although he would never dare to tell her that lest he had to explain to Mento why his clothes are soaked in seawater. Maybe crushes would fade over time but for now, he would have been ecstatic if Raven would grace him with just a smile.

She didn't.

Beast Boy, or Changeling as he prefers to be known nowadays heaved a sigh. This was followed with a large grin which exposed his pearly whites sans the pseudo incisor which had been part of his trademark look before he left. The thought instinctively brought down Changeling's mood a few notches when he recollected the reasons why he left in the first place. It had not been the most positive of reasons. Pulling the straps of his haversack closer to his lean athletic frame, the young superhero took a deep breath and began to exercise his enhanced powers and concentrated them to his lower limbs. In an instant, he began to feel the changes as his appendages transformed to provide greater strength, speed and dexterity to make the last few kilometres to his final destination.

Titans Tower.

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 **A/N: Hello everyone, after years of absence I thought I'd give fan fiction another try:) I hope to make this a relatively short story. I owe it to all of you readers to complete the ones I currently have. Until the next update!**

 **-spartan585**


	2. Chapter 2

Twenty year old Raven woke up to her usual nonchalance. At least that was what she constantly convinced herself. She did it yesterday too. And the day before as well. Come to think of it, that has been her routine ever since Beast Boy…no, Changeling left. Raven smiled as her thoughts fondly focused on the green bean. True to his promise to Starfire those years ago, Changeling had diligently kept regular contact with the Titans except when the Doom Patrol were engaged in missions. From their correspondence, she bore witness to the shape shifter's progress and had grudgingly (initially) been surprised; her teammate had gradually adopted a much more mature approach to life and had exhibited more decisiveness towards achieving what he wanted in life, no doubt a result of Mento's insistence on a more holistic approach in developing his son.

Mento had insisted that Garfield excel not just as a superhero but also as the future heir of the Dayton fortune. As such, his training had been complemented with lessons ranging from combat to strategic thinking and extensive tuition on managing the business empire he would one day inherit, no expense had been spared. So it was that her teammate was never short on conversation topics ranging from his latest transformation techniques to the latest welts on his knuckles courtesy from Questor or Herr Questor as Garfield would jokingly call him, the Dayton's butler and Garfield's head tutor whenever he caught the easily distracted young man dozing off during lessons. There was even one instance when Garfield likened Questor's teaching methods akin to Raven's and suggested that the two would get along fine if they were to meet, much to the team's (especially Raven's) amusement.

Still, it was no bed of roses for the shape-shifter. The deal had been to fully utilize Garfield's capabilities and talents and Mento and the Doom Patrol intended to do just that. Their reputation as one of the grittiest superhero groups out there was well-founded and well-earned. Various times during the Titans' conversations with Changeling did they notice the many bruises, cuts and other injuries which the shape-shifter had sustained from his training or as a result of undertaking missions. There had been voices of concern coming from everyone but Garfield casually brushed them off saying that the wounds were superficial and there really was nothing to worry about.

A turning point on this issue occurred two years ago when Changeling was placed under medical leave after sustaining several injuries from a battle with a particularly nasty foe, some of which were of a more grievous nature. When he appeared on screen, Cyborg and Starfire were in an uproar; their green teammate sported a cast on his left arm, the left side of his face was completely covered with bandages and his voice was reduced from his puberty-gifted baritone to a whispery croak courtesy of a bruised larynx. And that was only his upper body. It was difficult to see him that way but Garfield was unshakeable. Everyone could see the determination in his eye (the left side was covered) and how much this meant to him. Despite their misgivings, the Titans continued to put their trust in their older counterparts in training their friend.

It was during that moment that something shifted within Raven. For the first time in her life, she could not recognize the green boy in the screen. No, that was no boy. Garfield had grown to become a man and his purple-haired teammate could not help but like what she saw. A desire grew within her to discover more about this person which led to her sometimes unknowingly hogging the bulk of the precious talk time between the Titans and Changeling. Whether the rest of the team were aware of the change in their teammate's demeanour was never made known but no one complained.

The conversation went normally enough but it was only hours later when Raven was preparing to go to bed that her communicator alerted her to an incoming private transmission. It was Garfield. At first, the sorceress was bewildered as to why he wanted to speak to her specifically. Cyborg would have been a better choice as a confidant. Still, she was flattered and quietly ignored the teasing jibes that her emotions were screaming about in her head especially Happy and Affection.

Raven's conversations with Gar (as she increasingly began to refer to him as) became a catalyst for a blooming friendship between the two. It was not as if they were never friends to begin with but there was definitely a bond there was not there before. The two talked about anything and everything from day to day ramblings to reflections and thoughts. Even gossip, a topic Raven previously abhorred, became a regular fixture in their hearty discussions. It was fun, Raven found to her amazement, talking to Gar. Distance and maturity had been good to him and she found herself looking forward eagerly to his calls. It had been an agreed arrangement between the Titans and the Doom Patrol that they should minimize calls for the shape-shifter unless it was a matter of due importance; something which the sorceress took serious note of. She viewed her conversations with her friend as strictly pleasurable activity and was quick to remind him of such the few times he asked her to initiate a call.

Raven never considered herself suited for a romantic relationship. She had dismissed it under the notion that no suitor would ever see more than a demon half-breed. She trusted her friends and loved all of them as well as the extended Titans family and it was enough for her.

Until now.

Her relationship with Gar was excellent and she thoroughly enjoyed the times shared with him. Gar was a perfect gentleman; a far cry from his more youthful days. That did not mean, however, that he became someone completely unrecognizable to her; he was still the good-natured and goofy boy she had always known him to be as well as the most optimistic person she had ever known. Thinking back, Raven remembered how they were like and she realized that she had been pretty abusive towards him. Either verbally or physically, Gar had been the focus of much of her ire due to her then fragile grasp on her powers and her own youthful immaturity. The jabs, the smacks, the black magic infused flinging into the bay were uncalled for. Yes, he was definitely a handful and many a time, Raven had actually wondered if her green teammate had been the Universe's way of dispensing justice on her unclean blood. Pondering on her past misdemeanors, the sorceress grew ashamed of herself. Gar had never retaliated in kind. Despite everything, he was always by her side. Always supporting her with bad jokes and shielding her during battles. She remembered when Gar broke the news of the Doom Patrol's offer to the team. She guiltily admitted that the thought of him gone would be a welcome relief. Even on the day he left, she could see it in his eyes but she would not even grace him with the smile he desired from her.

It had been a revelation to realise what her feelings meant. To be honest, she should have known better. The signs were all there and it only took almost a year since that fateful private call but Raven still had a nagging thought. Should she act upon her feelings? And would Gar reciprocate? It was an agonizing feeling to fathom the notion of her affections unrequited but it would not be uncalled for. Truly she had never shown any reason as to why she should be entrusted with Gar's heart.

No.

Raven was, if anything, hopeful. In addition, she was also patient. Yes, she had been terrible towards Gar in the past but that was in the past. They have all changed including herself. She can be nicer towards him and in doing so perhaps show him that she is worthy of being his. Her hold on her powers was stronger than ever before and she had taken some cooking lessons from Starfire. On second thought, maybe that latter thought would not really impress Gar that much. Starfire, Azar bless her, is the sister she never had but even Trigon himself would retreat in the face of her culinary 'masterpieces'. Sometimes, one has to call a spade as it is.

With her stable grip on her supernatural abilities, Raven could indulge with her emotions to an unheard of degree as compared to during her youth. Blushing, she imagined herself displaying such affection like Starfire does with Robin. It was not an altogether unpleasant sensation to experience. As she washed and prepared herself to face the day, Raven daydreamed of perhaps going on dates with her green teammate as a couple and doing the things couples usually do. The thoughts created a warm fuzzy feeling within the young woman which elicited a tiny smile on her otherwise blank expression.

Looking into the mirror, Raven examined herself. She had to admit that she was not an unattractive person. Still, her height which really did not change much since her teenage years was the least of her problems. Her ashen skin which looked almost grey and her purplish hair which grew to her waist was clearly unnatural and attracted mainly the wrong sort of boys. Raven wondered if Gar found her attractive.

A familiar spike in her empathic sense followed by an alert chime from her communicator roused the sorceress from her thoughts. It was Robin summoning everyone to the Common Room immediately. Letting out a sigh and pushing the source of the spike to a corner of her mind for later, Raven made her way to the elevator.

As the doors opened, the murmurs of joy exploded into a cacophony of elation that almost overwhelmed her. The sorceress opened her mouth to give a caustic retort when the spike reappeared again. This time, it became profound enough to make Raven hold her tongue. That familiar spike that only one person in the world could produce and there he was fresh a debilitating hug from Starfire stood a smiling Changeling.

All eyes trained upon her and wondering what her reaction would be like. Maybe a curt 'hi' or even a dismissive wave would suffice. Damn that girl can be full of surprises.

Raven flew towards him. All thoughts seem to have left her mind except for the green man standing in front of her with that grin she missed so much. Changeling stepped forward with his arms outstretched which caused a happiness like no other to erupt within her. Enfolding her arms around his neck, Raven practically latched herself onto Gar as she felt his strong arms holding her back just as tightly in their warm embrace.

Gar had returned.

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 **A/N: Hello everyone, I originally intended this to be the final chapter. However I decided I'll leave the ending with enough of a mix between a closure and a cliffhanger so that if I have time, a sequel would be a possibility. I hope all of you enjoy this. Until next time:)**

 **-spartan585**


End file.
